Israel requests that Rafah be evacuated while Hamas accepts the idea for a Gaza truce

Cheering crowds poured into the street following the Hamas announcement, amid happy tears, celebratory shooting in the air, and chants of "Allahu Akbar" (meaning "God is greatest").

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the proposal "is far from Israel's crucial demands." Even so, the administration is thinking about bringing in negotiators "to exhaust every opportunity for arriving at an agreement." 

A three-phase truce is part of the proposal that Hamas agreed to, according to Hamas member Khalil al-Hayya, who spoke with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel.

He stated that it aims for a "permanent ceasefire" and entails a full Israeli departure from Gaza, the repatriation of Palestinians who have been displaced by the conflict, and a hostage-prisoner exchange.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, is getting ready for a "ground operation" in the southern Gaza city and has reiterated an earlier request that residents of east Rafah leave.

Military spokesman Daniel Hagari reiterated the appeal for people to evacuate when he said that Israeli "aircraft aimed more than 50 terror seeks in the Rafah area" on Monday. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad's armed wing responded by claiming that its militants fired rockets toward southern Israel from Gaza.

Disregarding international concerns, Netanyahu has pledged to send ground troops into Rafah despite any truce.

Netanyahu's office added that the Rafah offensive will proceed "to exert military force on Hamas in order to speed up the release of our captives" in the statement in response to Hamas's announcement.

News Source: https://www.philstar.com/world/2024/05/07/2353268/hamas-accepts-gaza-truce-proposal-israel-urges-rafah-evacuation